Belgium’s controversial Africa Museum reopened on Saturday following five years of renovation to bring its exhibitions up to date, after coming under fire for an uncritical depiction of Belgium’s colonial history.
The museum was founded at the behest of King Leopold II to showcase the Congo Free State, which he established under his personal rule in the 1880s and brutally exploited, leaving up to 10 million people dead.
The museum, considered one of the biggest of its kind, has undergone a fundamental overhaul and now depicts a contemporary view of Africa, according to director Guido Gryseels.
The building, which closed in December 2013, has almost doubled in size, reaching a surface area of 11,000 square metres.
The renovation costs, including the construction of a glass annex housing a huge reception area and restaurant, are thought to run to more than 65 million euros (74 million dollars).
Besides countless artefacts, the museum now includes rooms covering the colonial history of Congo, which remained under Belgian rule until 1960, as well as the African diaspora.
The reopening of the museum is taking place in the context of a new debate about colonial art.
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